WHAT IS A PÉT-NAT? EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

Pét-nat — short for pétillant naturel — is the sparkling wine that the wine world has been quietly obsessed with for years. Now the secret is out.

THE SIMPLE EXPLANATION

Pét-nat is sparkling wine made the old-fashioned way. The wine is bottled before fermentation is completely finished. As fermentation completes in the bottle, the CO2 created has nowhere to escape — it dissolves into the wine, creating natural bubbles.

This is called the ancestral method. It is the original way of making sparkling wine — predating Champagne by centuries.

HOW IS PÉT-NAT DIFFERENT FROM CHAMPAGNE AND PROSECCO?

Champagne and traditional method sparkling wines undergo two fermentations — one to make wine, one in the bottle to create bubbles (with added yeast and sugar). This produces fine, persistent bubbles and a clean, precise character.

Prosecco uses the Charmat method — the second fermentation happens in large tanks. Fast, efficient, consistent.

Pét-nat has just one fermentation that finishes in the bottle. No additions, no intervention. The result is more rustic, more expressive, and more variable — in the best possible way.

WHY IS PÉT-NAT OFTEN CLOUDY?

Because it is not filtered. The natural sediment from fermentation stays in the bottle, giving pét-nat its characteristic haze. This is entirely normal and actually a sign of quality — it means nothing has been stripped out.

WHAT MAKES PROST! SPECIAL?

PROST! is made by the Hoch family in Kremstal, Austria — one of Austria's most celebrated biodynamic producers. Made from Grüner Veltliner and Zweigelt using the ancestral method, it delivers lemon sherbet, Granny Smith apple, and grapefruit with genuinely lively natural bubbles. Certified organic, biodynamic, and vegan friendly. Available at locowines.co.uk.